The concurrent increase in demand and decrease in supply of energy has dramatically increased the costs of energy worldwide. As a result, new methods of generating energy are increasingly becoming the subject of research study and political discussion. Therefore, the present invention may have a positive impact on the energy crisis currently facing the United States currently and in the very near future.
Reliance on fossil fuels is not a long-term option. For this reason, several methods of energy production ranging from next generation nuclear power plants to domestic bio-fuel sources are being researched. Unfortunately, many of the avenues of alternative energy production that are being explored are plagued with problems that range from extraordinarily high initial capital costs to serious long-term environmental impact and degradation. In the best case scenario, we are handing off the consequences of our actions to future generations, and in the worst case we are placing ourselves in the precarious position of international energy dependency. Though a great deal of research has gone into exploring all manners of the production of electricity, it seems that the area of buoyancy-powered generation has not experienced anywhere near the attention of other alternative power generation solutions.
The utilization of buoyancy as a negation to gravity, in respect to powering an external electricity-producing device, such as a generator or alternator, has the potential of creating a situation of reliable and economical energy production. In order to turn an at rest object into a dynamic device, a situation of density disparity must be created. One method for bringing about this change is by filling an envelope with a buoyant gas, thus reducing the mean density of the object. Due to the newly created force of buoyancy, the object will climb until an intentional action increases the object's mean density by removing the lighter fluid from the envelope. This action causes the object to revert back to its pre-buoyancy position.
This continuous, reciprocating or circuitous motion has the potential to provide the driving force for the production of relatively clean and inexpensive electricity. It is the variation of the mean density of an object, the increase and decrease of the buoyant force, which is the basis of the present invention. Specifically, this invention relates to the process of producing electricity by utilizing the dynamics of density variation.
Electrical generators are devices which convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. This is usually achieved by utilizing electromagnetic induction; the production of an electrical potential difference (or voltage) across a conductor situated in a changing magnetic flux. The use of the electromagnetic induction process is very well known, having been used since its discovery by Michael Faraday in 1831. The source of the mechanical energy may be a reciprocating or turbine engine.
A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from the flow of a fluid. The simplest turbines consist of blades are typically attached to a shaft. When a moving fluid applies pressure onto the blades, the blades rotate the shaft and impart energy to the rotor. Although numerous types of turbines exist, the most common forms of turbines include steam, gas, water and wind. It is well known to provide hydroelectric generators which require a renewable source of water or other fluid to rotate the impellers of a turbine to generate power. More specifically, these generators generally work by converting the potential energy of dammed water driving a water turbine and generator. The amount of energy converted depends on a number of factors, most importantly being the volume of the water and the height difference between the source of the water and the water's flow. Virtually all types of electrical power on Earth is produced by means of some type of turbine.
Numerous attempts have been made to harness movements in the environment and translate the movement into energy. These most common of these attempts include attempts to harness the movement of waterfalls, wind and waves. For example, offshore turbines are often used to generate energy based on the motion of water. However, these attempts to harness the energy of the environment are often met with some criticism. For example, traditional offshore turbine generators often cause irreversible damage to the sea floor ecology and may even cause a navigational hazard. In addition, many of these offshore turbine generators create eyesores against an otherwise highly desirable landscape. In addition to the above, these generators are often extremely expensive to build and maintain, especially in a harsh environment such as the ocean.
A need, therefore, exists for an improved method for generating electricity that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. More specifically, a need exists for an improved method for generating electricity using a turbine generator which is both economical to build and maintain, as well as being environmentally friendly.